Health officials have confirmed the presence of the Andes strain of hantavirus, capable of human-to-human transmission, among passengers aboard a cruise ship at the heart of a rare hantavirus outbreak. According to authorities, two hantavirus patients and one suspected case were airlifted from the MV Hondius vessel to the Netherlands on Wednesday. The ship departed from Cape Verde with around 150 individuals on board, en route to Spain’s Canary Islands.
Among those evacuated were a 56-year-old Briton, a 41-year-old Dutch national, and a 65-year-old German, who were promptly transferred to specialized hospitals in Europe. While two individuals are in serious condition, one remains asymptomatic but had close ties to a deceased German passenger. The ship’s doctor, initially in critical condition, has since stabilized, as confirmed by Spain’s Health Ministry and Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s operator.
The remaining passengers, including four Canadians, are currently symptom-free and are expected to be repatriated to their home countries upon arrival in Tenerife, Spain. Health authorities are closely monitoring the situation, reassuring the public that the overall risk remains low. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other international partners are actively involved in providing guidance and technical support to mitigate risks associated with the outbreak.
Hantavirus, primarily spread by rodents and rarely by humans, poses potential cardiopulmonary complications with a mortality rate of up to 50%. The Andes strain is the only hantavirus type known to allow human-to-human transmission through close contact. World Health Organization (WHO) experts emphasize that transmission is limited to intimate physical interaction, distinguishing it from COVID-19 or influenza spread.
WHO has confirmed hantavirus cases in five ship passengers and suspected three others, with additional cases reported in Switzerland and South Africa. Health authorities in these countries are conducting contact tracing and implementing necessary precautions to contain the virus’s spread. Disinfection measures have been implemented aboard the MV Hondius, with passengers isolated in their cabins as a precautionary measure.
